PFN – Men Matters Online Journal (MMOJ) Seeking Submissions on The Bachelor Spectrum: Explorations of Masculinity Outside Marriage

What does it mean for a man to navigate the world as a bachelor? In the 21st century, marriage rates have fallen dramatically across many countries. While the proportion of men (and women) who will never marry increases, their counterparts who do eventually tie the knot are doing so later in life – and thus experiencing a prolonged period of bachelorhood.

It is worth noting, of course, that this is not an entirely modern phenomenon. There have always been men who remained lifelong bachelors, whether due to choice, circumstance, or a combination of factors. Poverty, economic uncertainty, and long-term incarceration are perennial obstacles to marriage and fatherhood, for example. On the other hand, men of the past have also forsaken or postponed marriage via initiation into particular religious orders and military regiments.

From the Knights Templar to Japan’s “herbivore men”, the bachelor is often a complex figure caught in the shifting tides of gender norms, cultural flux, and sociohistorical change. We invite poets, fiction writers, and creative-non-fiction writers to explore the multifaceted lives of unmarried men across the spectrum of identity—straight, queer, cis, trans, and beyond.

We are seeking works that delve into:

• The historical and cultural evolution of bachelorhood.
• The joys and struggles of single life in contemporary society.
• The intersections of masculinity, queerness, and bachelorhood.
• Forms of attachment and fatherhood outside of marriage (e.g. cohabitation, single fathers, baby daddies)
• Global and cultural variations in the perception of unmarried men, including the unique roles of Hindu sannyasis and yogis, as well as Christian clergy, Buddhist monks, and other religious ascetics who remain single and celibate as part of their spiritual vocations. These men embody bachelorhood not as a state of independence, but as a devotion to faith, meditation, and service, challenging societal norms surrounding partnership and masculinity.
• Media portrayals and personal experiences that challenge or embrace traditional tropes.
• Loneliness, freedom, intimacy, and the search for self in the absence of partnership.

We welcome works that engage with these themes in fresh, thought-provoking ways. Whether you offer a lyrical ode to solitude, a sharp critique of societal norms, or a story that redefines what it means to be a bachelor, we want to hear from you.

Publication date: Last week of June 2025

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

Please submit your manuscript as a Word Document. The text of your work should be in Garamond, 12-point size. Manuscripts should have 1.5 spacing on A4-sized paper with margins of 1.25” (right and left) and 1” (top and bottom).

Poetry:

Up to 5 poems. There is no minimum or maximum word limit but poems that run up to a maximum of 40 lines are preferred.

Fiction and Creative Non-Fiction:

A single work, maximum of 5,000 words.

How to submit your work:

Submit your work through email: menmattersonlinejournal@gmail.com In the email cover letter please indicate that this is an original and unpublished work that is being submitted.

Attach your individual submissions in separate attachments. Make sure there are no personal details in the files containing the submissions.

In a separate file provide a brief biography in third person (maximum 100 words)

File format: Word Document. The text of your work should be in Garamond (12 point size), with 1.5 spacing.

Simultaneous submissions are welcome. It is your responsibility to inform us in time when the work submitted here is accepted somewhere else.